Curse on the Mind
by gracewright
Summary: Reid has headaches and he struggles to keep it from the team. What will happen when they have a long case and Reid has to share a room? Story about Reid's headaches :)
1. Prologue

Black throbbing pain ricochets through his skull as he sits huddled in his dark apartment. The curtains are closed tightly, staunching the blinding flow of sunlight that threatens to magnify tenfold the bass thrumming in his brain. A whimper claws its way up his throat, as his shaking hands press against his ears to block out the deafening thumping of his heart. "Morgan . . .Someone," He whispers, silent tears squeezing through his clenched eyelids.

Slowly, he braces his hand against the wall and pulls himself upright. _'I have to get to work.'_ The thought tugs him into action, stumbling across the almost completely dark room, tripping over pile after pile of books and case files. His shin catches on the low-sitting coffee table and he cries out, immediately regretting it. The loud noise brought on yet another onslaught of shattering pain and he slams his eyes shut, dropping to the floor in the fetal position. _'I have to get to work.'_ There it was, that thought again. Carefully, painfully, he staggers to his feet and practically falls into his bedroom.

Situating himself on his unmade bed, he begins to take deep breaths, and ever so slowly the pain in his head starts to die down. He manages to pull on his clothes and grab his bag, before beginning the agonizing trip to the front door. Extending his hand for the doorknob, he takes a deep breath, slides his sunglasses on, and begins what will be a long and painful day.


	2. So it begins Ch 1

Morgan POV:

Reid's head is down, his leg bouncing crazily, his long pianist fingers rubbing circles against his forehead. There's a gigantic cup of coffee sitting next to the file he's working on; it must be at least his third cup of the day, and it's only 10:30. I want to go over and ask him how he's doing, but I know that would only end in disaster. I'm about to turn back to the consult lying open in front of me, when his face screws up in pain. My brow scrunches in concern as I push my chair back and cross to his desk. Reid's my best friend and like a brother to me, and I'll be damned if he's gonna be in pain on my watch.

Reid POV:

The pressure in my skull is almost enough to make me consider asking Hotch for a sick day, but I have never in my life taken a day off because of health issues, and I don't intend to start now. My fingers gently massage my temple, alleviating the pain to some extent. Reaching out, I grab the mug off my desk and take a huge swallow of my doctored coffee that everyone calls my 'syrup'. I think it's my third cup of the day, but quite honestly I've completely lost count. One of the side-effects of these headaches is fatigue, and the only thing between me and unconsciousness is the caffeinated beverage. I put the mug down and am about to start working again, when I see somebody approaching my desk. '_Okay Spencer, act normal and remember to smile.'_

Morgan POV:

As I reach his desk, he glances up and plasters on a fake grin, quickly stilling his leg in an attempt to appear calm. "Hey Reid, are you feeling okay?" His smile falters, and I see a flash of pain in his eyes before he quickly recovers.

"What do you mean? Honestly Morgan, of course I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Reid swallows thickly, and averts his eyes as he rushes to convince me.

My eyes narrow and I feel myself frown. "Well, for starters you haven't stopped moving since you got here at 8:00, you're on your third cup of coffee already which is rare even for you, and you keep rubbing your forehead! You tell me?" He has the decency to look slightly embarrassed for telling such a blatant lie, but he doesn't say anything which concerns me even more. I soften my tone and try again, "Look Pretty Boy, I'm just concer. . ." My statement is cut off as a petit blonde woman walks out on the upper level.

"Sorry guys, but we've got a case. Meeting room in 5." JJ hurries off to Hotch's office and I see Reid let out a relieved sigh as he pushes past me.

Reid POV:

JJ announces a case, and I heave a sigh of relief as I quickly make my way past Morgan before he can continue the conversation. _'More like an interrogation!"_ I think as I settle myself in one of the chairs at the round table. In the stress of the situation, my headache had been momentarily forgotten, but now it rushes back with a new passion.

No one's POV:

Prentiss meanders into the meeting room and takes a seat across from Reid. She watches him for a few seconds and cocks her head, noticing that he's acting strange. _'He acts like he's been using. . .' _Prentiss shakes her head, physically forcing the thought from her mind. There's no way that Reid would go back down that road. A few seconds later Morgan and Rossi enter, followed by Garcia and Hotch. They all take a seat, and wait for JJ. Reid shifts uncomfortably when he feels Morgan's gaze on him. _'Why can't he just leave me alone?!" _

JJ POV:

'_This's gonna be another tough one. . .'_ The thought sits heavily on my mind as I gather the files and head towards the meeting room. I breeze my way into the room and circle the table, distributing files as I begin the briefing. "Four women in Indiana, ages 23, 25, and 29, have disappeared over the last two months." I pause and pull up photos of two girls. "Amy Brandwell, age 23, and Martha Quis, age 29, were the first girls taken. Yesterday afternoon they were both found in a dumpster behind the Lucas Oil Stadium. They had been sexually assaulted and their throats were slashed." I sigh and bring up pictures of the girls corpses.

Morgan POV:

I'm listening to what JJ's saying, but I can't drag my attention fully away from Reid. Throughout the entire briefing he's gotten more and more fidgety, and every now and then his eyes would squint as though he was in pain. More frustrated than ever, I make myself a promise that I'm going to get him to talk.

Reid POV:

I try to focus on what JJ's saying, but my headache is quickly growing unbearable and with the way Morgan's watching me, I can't give in even the slightest to the pain. My eyes squeeze shut as I ride out a new wave of agony. Grinding my teeth together, I somehow manage to ground myself and open my eyes again. I know it's hopeless, but I still hope that Morgan didn't notice that I was in pain. Right when I think Morgan has finally had enough and he's gonna leap across the table and shake me till I give him answers, Hotch looks up from his file and says with a sharp nod of his head, "Wheels up in 20."

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**Please 'Reid' and Review :D**


	3. Do they notice? Ch 2

**Hello my fan-children! Thanks to everyone who is Following this story, or has added it to their Favorites . . .**

**I should probably say that I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS.**

**Now then, let's get crackin. . .**

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Reid POV:

Never in my life have I been in this much pain! The pressure in the cabin as the plane takes off, forces a whimper out of my throat as my head nearly splits in two. As the aircraft settles, I ease my way out of the seat I'm currently occupying, and shuffle my way to the couch. Sitting down with a sigh of relief, I wince when the light from the window shines directly into my eyes. The rest of the team chooses seats and Hotch stands, preparing to begin discussing the case. I let their voices blend together in the haze caused by the skull splitting pain from my headache. Slowly my eyes drift shut, blocking out everything but the thumbing bass in my head.

"Reid? . . . Reid!" My eyes snap open, and I gaze at Hotch, trying to figure out which one of my team called me.

"Yeah?" I question dumbly. Immediately after I say it however, I know I should have said something else as everyone radiates concern.

Morgan's the first to break the incredibly awkward silence. "We wanted to know what you think . . ."

I stare at him, completely lost. What I think? What I think is that my head hurts so bad I could curl into a tiny ball and hibernate for several years. That though, is clearly not the right answer, so I settle for the obvious. "What I think about what?"

They all stare at me like I've sprouted a second head. "About the case Reid . . . Are you okay kid?" Morgan repeats the question from earlier, but this time I know that he won't take 'I'm fine' as an answer. And even if Morgan would accept that, the rest of the team, namely Hotch, would demand honesty.

"Yeah Morgan, I've just got a slight headache is all; nothing to worry about." I flash them what I hope is a reassuring grin, and proceed to open my copy of the case file. Clearing my throat, I try to get them back on topic, "Well, clearly the unsub has an issue with women, disposing of them in a dumpster and all; sexual assault would suggest a male, one with enough strength to easily hoist these girls into a tall dumpster . . ." I trail off and Emily nods her head thoughtfully, her brow scrunching in sudden confusion.

"You're right, the disposal would suggest problems with women, but the bodies themselves, other than the sexual assault, were pristine. Both girls had their fingernails clipped and painted, and their hair was brushed. Those signs would point to regret, or like what a female would do." The team all mutters agreement, and quickly begin discussing possible reasons for the oddities in the MO. Carefully, I lean my throbbing head back against the seat, and shield my eyes from the sunlight coming through the window.

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I must have fallen asleep at some point, because when I open my eyes, we only have about a half-hour before landing. I rub my forehead lightly, glad that the pain has died down for the moment. JJ pauses in front of me, gently smiling at me, and hands me a large mug of coffee. I accept it with a small nod. "Does it have- . . ."

"Three tablespoons of sugar." She cuts me off with a quiet laugh, and ruffles my hair as she continues to her seat. I continue sitting there, slowly sipping my 'syrup', and watching the rest of the team do various things. Morgan has his headphones in, his head bobbing to the beat of the music; Hotch is his usual boss-like self, studiously going over case files and consults; Prentiss is sleeping, her hair flung wildly across her face, mouth hanging open; Rossi has his eyes closed though I know he's not sleeping, his hands folded primly in his lap; Finally, JJ is engrossed in a book, probably some sordid romance novel.

At last the seatbelt lights come on, and we prepare for landing. As the plane begins to descend, the pressure in my head starts to build again; my eyes clinch tightly against the pain worming its way back inside my skull. Luckily, before the pain becomes unbearable, we hit the landing strip, and my headache subsides into merely a dull roar. Unclenching my eyes, I find Morgan staring intently at me; I quickly avert my gaze, just wanting to be left alone. I know it won't last long, but momentary peace is all I ask for.

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Morgan POV:

As we exit the jet, I notice pretty boy putting sunglasses on despite the fact that it's nearly 7pm and the sky is already getting dark. A frown tugs at my lips, and I turn away before he notices that I've been staring. I won't bring it up yet, but tonight when we assign room partners, I'm gonna pick him and make him tell me what's wrong; that's a promise. Heaving a sigh, we head for the airport's rental car lot.

After Hotch pays for the use of three black SUV's, we pile in and drive to the police station. Hotch is riding with me, and I keep giving him sideways glances. Finally he fixes his gaze on me. "Yes Morgan? What is it?" His tone is slightly exasperated, but I can't say I blame him with the way I've been watching him.

"Yeah, uh, Hotch . . . listen man, I think . . . I think something's wrong with Reid . . ." I let the sentence hang, waiting for some kind of reaction. Hotch doesn't say anything, instead he just gives his head a slight nod, whether in agreement or acknowledgement I can't tell. He stares straight ahead for several minutes during which I don't speak for fear of interrupting his thoughts. Then he looks at me with his signature 'Hotch' look.

"I trust your judgment. If it turns out to be something that could potentially interfere with his work, then I trust that you'll tell me." His face is stern, but I can see concern reflected in his steady gaze. I set my jaw and give a sharp nod; I'll find out tonight.

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**Yay! Second chapter already ;) Please 'Reid' and review. **

**I may not be able to update very often, but I will definitely update AT LEAST once a week **


	4. What's wrong with Reid? Ch 3

**Hello again! It has been such a LONG week :[ I humbly beg your forgiveness for not updating sooner! Once again, thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/ followed my story, and I really hope you continue reading! **

**As I said before, I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CRIMINAL MINDS CHARACTERS, OR THE SHOW.**

**Here goes. . . **

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Reid POV:

The lights flashing past the window of the SUV blind me through my sunglasses, and cause the insistent throbbing in my head to worsen yet again. Huffing a bit, I turn my head away from the windows and close my eyes, trying and failing to block out all stimuli.

"Spence, are you okay?" JJ's voice vibrates through my skull like a buzz saw, and it takes every ounce of strength I possess to not whimper in pain. Instead I try for aloof and tired, not very hard in my current situation.

"Yes JJ, I'm fine. Why would you think otherwise?" My voice comes out small and breathy, not what I want if I'm trying to convince my team that I feel fine; inwardly I berate myself.

"Well, you're still wearing your sunglasses, and you've been fidgety . . . more than usual." She mentions the glasses and I smirk, although I think it came out more as an awkward grimace; the glasses at least are easy to explain.

"The level of contrast between the dark interior of the car and the bright lights outside the windows hurts my eyes, so I find it easier to just keep my sunglasses on." _'Not a total lie,'_ I think as I prepare to tell another partial lie. "As for the fidgeting, I just had a few too many cups of coffee this morning." I take a deep breath to brace myself, and give her the most reassuring smile I can muster. She's clearly not completely convinced, but she returns my smile and gives up for now. _'Thank God for small favors!'_ Carefully, so as to not jostle my head, I lean back and block everything out for the rest of the ride to the police station.

Hotch POV:

My team walks into the police station, clearly weary, but faces steeled with determination. Something feels wrong though, and my gaze is immediately drawn to the youngest. His shoulders are hunched, eyes shielded with sunglasses, fingers tightly gripping the ends of his sleeves. My eyes narrow as I start towards him, but several feet from him my attention is diverted to a sturdy looking man of middle age striding over to my team. Knowing this must be the police chief, I purse my lips and decide to let Morgan take care of it; I'll make sure they room together tonight.

No-one's POV:

"Hello chief Daniels, I'm agent Jurouea*, we spoke on the phone. These are agents Hotcher, Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, and doctor Reid." JJ briskly shakes the chief's hand, before getting down to business. "Is there some place that we can set up?"

"Yes Ma'am, we cleared out the conference room for ya; follow me." Chief Daniels promptly turns on his heel and begins to lead the team down a hallway. Opening a glass door, he leads them single-file into the conference room; with that done, the chief exits, leaving the team to get prepped.

"Alright everyone, we'll set up and then head to the hotel. Everyone's got to share a room with someone; Prentiss with JJ, Rossi you're with me, and Morgan will share with Reid." Hotch's authoritative voice fills the room, leaving no room for objection, something that Reid desperately wants to do.

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Reid POV:

Arriving at the hotel, we all grab our bags and stumble to our designated rooms. _'You more than the others,'_ my brain supplies the snarky comment, and I can't help but smirk at its truth. The clanging inside my skull has gotten somewhat better, although that is really just a matter of opinion; it is better than it had been, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like a son-of-a . . . I roll my eyes at the fact that even when I'm thinking, I still can't bring myself to curse. Of course the act of rolling my eyes momentarily blinds me as a wall of white hot pain slams into my brain.

As the pain subsides, I realize that Morgan and I have arrived at our door. I watch as he pulls the key card from his jeans pocket and slides it in and out of the slot, successfully unlocking the door. Morgan holds it open for me and I shoot him an appreciative grimace; not what I intended to do, but still better than screaming like I want to. This is one of the worst headaches I've ever gotten. _ 'Just figures that you'd have a case!'_ I internally acknowledge that statement as truth; my luck has always been terrible.

Morgan POV:

As soon as the door is closed and once again locked, I turn to Reid and cross my arms. He stares at me for a few seconds, and I can see indecision flash in his tired brown eyes; _'at least he's finally removed his glasses,'_ I think as I watch him. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Reid heaves a weighty sigh and flops down on the bed we're to share.

"Fine, fine, I give up. Ask your questions." My forehead crinkles in concern when I hear the exhausted tone in his voice. "I just . . . I just want to sleep!" His voice catches and rises in pitch, like sobs caught in his throat. Slowly, I move towards the bed, careful not to startle him.

"What's wrong, pretty boy?" I question, my voice gentle and quiet, concern dripping from every word. I think it was the 'pretty boy' that did it, but when I sit down facing him, I see a single tear slide down his pale skin. Suddenly, his face contorts in pain, and his mouth opens letting out a small desperate cry. His shaking hands shooting up to grab his head, he gasps, "Morgan! It hurts!"

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**A bit of a cliffhanger, eh? Hehehehe! Yeah, after I waited soooo long to update, I figured I'd give you drama. **

**Good, bad, or garbage? Please 'Reid' and review :]**

***I'm not sure how her name is spelled.**


	5. Now he knows Ch 4

**Hello again my beauties! I am terribly sorry about how long it has taken me to update this story, it is inexcusable! Many, many thanks to all who followed or favorited me or the story, and or reviewed! Okie-dokie, here we go :D **

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_**Reid POV:**_

Morgan sits gently next to me, and I feel a hot tear slide down my cheek. _'God Spencer, get ahold of yourself! Why must you always be so weak!_' I get ready to laugh off my crying and blame it on exhaustion, when the headache that had momentarily subsided comes rushing back to life. The pain is more intense than anything previously, the lights in the hotel room suddenly becoming painfully bright. My hands grip my head in agony, trying to keep my skull in one piece. "Morgan!" my voice comes out thready and breathless, "It hurts!"

"What's wrong?!" Morgan's voice is so loud; it leaves my ears ringing and creates little bubbles of black that pop in front of my eyes. I cringe back from the noise and whimper; my eyes squeezed shut, hands clamped over my ears. Morgan notices and quickly lowers his voice to barely a whisper, "What's wrong, kid? What can I do to help?"

My voice quavers and rattles inside my skull, but I just barely manage to croak out, "Lights . . . P-please, they h-hurt so bad . . . !" I sense him move as I scrunch myself into the fetal position on the bed. The light switch clicks and everything goes dark, before I hear the bedside lamp turn on, bathing everything in a soft glow.

"It's alright now pretty boy, you can open your eyes." His hand settles gently between my shoulders and begins to move soothingly back and forth. Slowly, I crack my eyes open, quickly turning my face away from the lamp when even that small light proves too much. Unfortunately, the act of turning my head awoke a wave of nausea that chose that moment to bowl me over.

"M-Morgan . . . I'm gonna be sick!" I try to push myself up, when I feel strong arms reach behind my back and under my knees, lifting me up like a damsel in distress. _"Oh well, I can feel embarrassed later."_ Within seconds, I feel myself being placed on the cold tile of the bathroom floor. And as if that was a signal, my dinner comes surging back up my throat. I feel Morgan position me over the toilet, but not before some of the vomit lands in my lap. One of his hands pulls my long sweaty hair out of my face, and the other gently soothes up and down my back, sliding calmly over the convulsing muscles. Eventually, my retching turns into dry heaves that rattle my brain against my skull. The pain from the headache mixed with the pain from the dry heaving is just too much, and my trembling muscles relax as I pass out.

_**Morgan POV: **_

"M-Morgan . . . I'm gonna be sick!" Reid's voice wavers, the exclamation tinged with panic. He tries to push himself up and I almost want to smack him. _'Does he honestly think that I'm going to let him try to get there by himself when he can't even fully open his eyes?!'_ Leaning forward, I scoop him up in a bridal hold and hurry to the bathroom. I set him on the floor, but before I have time to position him over the toilet, a heave wracks his thin frame and he vomits in his lap. I quickly move him to the toilet, and hold his hair back as he heaves again and again, emptying his stomach and then some, dry heaves following the vomit. Incessant shivers travel through his body as he continues to heave even though there's nothing left, his face scrunched in pain, and frustrated tears spiking his lashes. Finally, when he's about done, he gives one last shudder, his eyes roll back in their sockets, and he passes out.

I catch him just before his head connects with the tub, and ease him down to the floor. _"_Damn!" I tap his cheek a few times, but to no avail; Reid is really and truly out. Although I don't suppose I can blame him; anyone would pass out after all that. I give him a once over, and realize that if I want to put him in the bed, then I'm going to have to give him a bath and change his clothes. I chuckle to myself as I start to run a bath. The kid never really likes anyone to see him 'in a state of undress' as he puts it, probably because he's self-conscious about how skinny he is. "He's not gonna be happy about this!"

I carefully remove the button up and undershirt he's wearing, then move on to his pants. Granted, this is sorta uncomfortable for me, but I'm still really glad that Reid's out of it; this would just upset him more. When I remove his boxers, I try my best to avert my eyes well at the same time lifting him into the tub; not a particularly easy task. Once I get him situated, I quickly rinse him off, pull him out, and wrap him in one of the hotel towels. I carry Reid back into the bedroom, lay him on the bed, put him in some clean boxers, and tuck him under the covers after toweling his hair dry. "I'll only ever do that for you man, only for you! Be glad you're like my little brother," I mutter as I pull out my cell and call Hotch. Something's definitely wrong with Reid!

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**I'M SOOOO SORRY! I know it's really short I'll try to update really soon, I promise!**


	6. Waking up Ch 5

**Greetings everyone! I'm SOOOOO terribly sorry for not uploading sooner :[ College classes got the best of me ;] Okie-dokie peoples. . . Here we go!**

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_**Hotch POV: **_

I am pulling the belt from the loops in my dress pants when my phone starts ringing. I sigh heavily and slide the pad of my thumb across the face of the device, simultaneously unlocking the phone and answering the call. "SSA Aaron Hotchner," my voice is brisk and professional, cutting straight to the point. There's a moment of silence before a quiet voice responds.

"Hey Hotch, it's Morgan; I gotta talk to ya man. Reid's asleep, but I don't want to leave him right now. Can you come to our room?" Morgan sounds drained and worried, which in turn worries me. I quickly glance over at Rossi too check that he's still sleeping, then reply with an affirmative noise and disconnect the call. Pulling my discarded clothes back on, I contemplate what Morgan could want to discuss; clearly, he had talked to Reid, and clearly, it had been bad. Sighing once again, I grab my room key, and head for Morgan and Reid's room.

_**Morgan POV:**_

I hear a slight tapping at the door and quickly slide the deadbolt back. Hotch is standing on the other side looking slightly disheveled, but still alert and slightly worried. Moving aside, I let Hotch slip past me and into the room. He spares a concerned glance at Reid's sleeping form, before turning his attention fully on me. Cutting right to the chase, he asks in his matter-of-fact voice, "What happened?" I swallow thickly as I try to think of how I want to phrase this.

"Well, I confronted him and he broke down and started to tell me what was wrong." I sigh as I remember how scared I was when his headache started. "He got a headache . . . but it wasn't a normal one Hotch, he was in so much pain! I had to turn off the lights and whisper because the lights and sound hurt him too much. I guess it didn't help much though; he got sick and didn't quite make it to the toilet. He passed out after he finished vomiting, so I washed him off and put him to bed." I finish and take a breath, giving Hotch an opportunity to ask questions. He stares at me for a second and I can see worry barely hidden behind his normal stoic mask.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he heaves a sigh running his hand roughly over his face, and moves so that he's standing next to Reid's bed. Hotch slowly reaches out and brushes his fingers gently across Reid's forehead. "It's always you isn't it?" He murmurs quietly as he continues to stroke the kid's face. '_Damn straight!' _I think, and join Hotch standing next to Reid. Hotch's voice breaks the silence once more, the harsh professionalism a startling change from the affection of before, "In your opinion, will he be able to do his job?" I almost bite his head off for even suggesting that Reid wouldn't be able to perform his duties, but stop myself in time. '_Honestly? . . . I don't know.' _But that's not what I say. I look Hotch in the eyes, "Absolutely!"

_**Hotch POV:**_

I know he's lying, but damn it, I can't call him on it! I slowly nod my head and make a note to talk to Reid in private when I get the chance. Taking a deep breath, I head back to the door, turning back to Morgan one last time. "If you learn anything else . . ." I let the sentence trail to an end, knowing that he'll understand. Morgan gives me a curt nod that I take as an affirmative, before I pull the door open and take my leave.

_**Reid POV:**_

'_It's so dark . . .' _My head feels heavy, but my body feels like it's floating. Somewhere far away, I can hear quiet voices. They sound vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place them. I'm struggling to open my eyes, when the sound of a door closing cuts off the voices. With renewed effort, I manage to pry my eyelids up ever so slightly before I realize something kind of monumental . . . my headaches gone. A whispery breath escapes through my parted lips as the fact that I'm dressed only in boxers makes itself known. Instantly, the blurry form of Derek Morgan is at my side. "Hey there pretty boy, how ya feelin'? Does your head still hurt?" He's whispering, so it takes a minute for me to understand what he's asking me.

I blink several times before responding, "Y-yeah, I'm good, my headaches gone . . . um, Morgan? W-why am I only wearing boxers?" I swallow nervously and he chuckles, some of the worry in his eyes replaced with mirth.

"How much do you remember?" I pull my lip between my teeth in a nervous gesture as I try to think back to the last thing I remember doing.

"I was- I was having a really bad headache, then I got sick and you," I pause and blush, my face turning a horrifying shade of crimson. "-you carried me too the restroom." Morgan's still watching me, so I shake my head signifying that that's all I remember. Smiling slightly, he sighs and settles himself on the edge of my bed.

"Well kid, you didn't quite make it to the toilet and some of your dinner landed in your lap. When you passed out I had to change your clothes, but I saw no point in putting clean clothes on you if you were still sweaty. So I gave you a quick bath, put you in some clean boxers and put ya in bed." I just stare at him, horror and embarrassment plastered across my face. He takes one look at my face and busts out laughing.

"Morgan! How-how could you?! You b-bathed me?!" My voice is indignant, and if I was being totally honest, it was a little whiny too. I try to push myself up, but my elbows lock and I sink back to the bed with a groan. Morgan immediately stops laughing, his face becoming serious again.

"You okay kid? You should probably just keep lying down; after vomiting and passing out, I'd say your body's had enough activity for one evening." Giving him a weak nod, I wriggle further under the covers and quickly drift off.

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**Once again, I'm SOOOOOO sorry for not updating sooner! School work has kinda kicked my butt recently ; ] Please 'Reid' and review :D **


	7. They're back Ch 6

**OH MY GOSH! I'm soooo sorry this took me so long, but like last time, school has whooped my butt . OKIE-DOKIE! Here we go ;) **

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_**Reid POV:**_

The next few days went by fairly quickly and without much of significance. I didn't have any serious headaches, and the ones I did have were so minor a few ibuprofen fixed them right up; more than likely those were just caused by stress. Right now I'm trying to work out where the unsub will strike next which is not an easy task; since we've been here, there haven't been any more bodies found. '_Think! What is the probability that the unsub will strike close to the original dump sites?' _ My brow scrunches in concentration, my teeth nervously worrying my bottom lip. I inhale sharply as a sudden intense pain slams into the front of my skull. Instinctively my hand reaches up to massage it away, but I know that even if I try it won't help; this is the first really bad headache in days.

"What's the matter pretty boy?" I turn around slowly at his voice, knowing that I won't be able to lie to Morgan. I try anyways.

"N-nothing's the matter! I'm fine, just a little tired." Flashing a (hopefully) reassuring smile, I return to what I was doing, pushing the pain to the back of my mind. '_But God it's hard! My head is killing me!'_ What was a manageable pain a few moments earlier, has morphed into a deep throbbing that makes my hands shake. Taking a deep breath, I grit my teeth and proceed with the geographic profile.

_**Morgan POV:**_

As he turns to get back to work, I see him hide a wince and I know we're gonna be in for a long night. Promising myself that I'll keep an eye on him, I walk over to where Prentiss is going through the three girls' records looking for similarities. She hears the thud of my step and glances up at me, her lips twitching up in a tired smile. Carefully avoiding the multiple stacks of files, I set some coffee down on the table in front of her, receiving a grateful nod of her head. I frown as I slide my eyes around the police station spotting JJ talking to the police chief. "Where's Rossi and Hotch?" I question.

"I don't know where Hotch went, but Rossi's at the dump site with some uniforms going over it for anything we could have missed." She shrugs, grabs the coffee and takes a sip sighing contentedly. "Knowing Hotch, he's probably with Rossi or talking to the families again."

I nod, and giving Reid one last look, I delve into the ocean of files.

_**Reid POV:**_

I make a final hesitant circle on the map, and slowly appraise my handiwork. Feeling I had made the right decision, I cap the red marker and dash over to Morgan as quickly as my headache will allow. "Morgan! Where's Hotch?! I need to tell him where the unsub's gonna go next!" I gasp when I reach him, flinching when the volume of my voice causes it to echo in my skull.

Morgan, shocked by my sudden approach, jumps into action, pulling out his cell and speed dialing the unit chief. Morgan doesn't stop for pleasantries, but jumps right in saying, "Hotch Reid found the next dump site." As I wait, desperately trying to push away the pain that is steadily increasing as my heart rate goes up, I watch him make a few affirmative noises then, "Yeah okay, I'll put him on." He holds the phone out to me, and I snatch it from him bringing it quickly to my ear.

"Hotch, he's gonna dump the next body in- . . ." But before I could tell him, every phone in the station went off together and I screamed, the pain in my head ratcheting up several levels and becoming unbearable. I hear Morgan's voice in the back of my mind begging me to tell him what's wrong, but I can't respond because of the jackhammer burying itself deeper and deeper in my skull. The sound of the phones slowly fades out, and after several moments I manage to make out someone saying that another body was found. '_Oh, that explains the phone line blow out. . .'_ But quite frankly I didn't really care as at that moment my headache reintroduced me to indescribable pain.

_**Morgan POV:**_

I swear that I will never be able to rid my memory of the sound of Reid's scream. He had started to tell Hotch where he could expect the next body to be found when every phone in the whole damn place chose that moment to come to life. His scream scared the shit outa me and sent chills through my bones. His beautiful voice being wrenched from his lungs at a dizzying pitch spurred by agony . . . I shiver just remembering the sound.

An officer has just come to tell me the reason for all the chaos; another body's been found. Sighing, I shift a little easing the strain on my ankles. I'm sitting on the floor of the police station, a trembling Reid held tightly in my lap, his thin and shaking hands pressed tightly to his ears. His eyes are squeezed shut, his lips muttering unheard words. Humming softly I look up at Prentiss, her confused and worried eyes meeting mine and understanding immediately. With one last concerned glance at Reid, she quietly walks to the light switch and flicks it off, leaving us bathed in the dim glow coming through the glass walls of the police stations conference room.

Slowly so as not to startle the fragile man in my arms, I reach towards the forgotten cellphone and put it to my ear. "Hey Hotch, sorry 'bout that." My words are said in a low voice, as with my other hand I gently smooth up and down Spencer's back.

"What the hell happened?!" Hotch practically shouts at me, his tone desperate and panicked. I'm a bit taken aback at his desperation, but when I listen closely . . . '_Is that the siren in the background?'_

"Hotch do you have the siren on? Never mind that, Reid's fine Hotch; he was starting to have a migraine when the phones went off. They just caused the headache to worsen." Even to me it sounds like a feeble excuse.

"Morgan, I can't just ignore this anymore. Take him to the hospital _now_!" And with that Hotch hung up. Sighing heavily once more, I lean in close to Reid and whisper gently in his ear, "Come on kid, let's get you to the hospital, yeah?" I start to move him when, to my surprise, he actually responds.

"N-no Morgan! . . . n-not t-t-the hospital . . ." His voice fades, and I think he's just trailed off. But when I reach out to lift his face to mine, his head flops limply against my chest, eyes closed and brow furrowed.

"Pretty boy? Hey kid! Kid?!"

_**Reid POV:**_

_It's dark . . . and quiet. I like this place . . . no noise or light to make my head hurt, no worry or pain. Maybe I'll stay for awhile . . . yeah, just a little bit . . . just a little . . ._

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***GASP!* Cliffhanger. . . sorta ;) Again, sorry about how late the update is, and how short it is . Please 'Reid' and review!**


	8. Just a little longer Ch 7

**Hey everybody :D Soooo here's to hoping I don't disappoint with this chapter! Here we go . . . **

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_**Hotch POV:**_

Rossi and I are in the car driving back to the station when Morgan phones to say that Reid knows where the next body will be dumped. Morgan hands the phone to Reid and I can hear the excitement barely contained in his voice as he rushes to tell me his discovery. He's in the middle of a sentence when the sound of ringing fills the background; that's when Reid screams, and God! Every fiber in my body knew something was horribly wrong. "Reid?! REID!" I scream into the phone, but I get no response. My jaw sets, and I reach out a shaking hand to flip the siren on, pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rossi grab onto the dash with a satisfied smirk pasted on his face. Just then, I hear something on the other end of the phone line.

"Hey Hotch, sorry 'bout that," Morgan's voice says quietly in the silence.

"What the hell happened?!" I all but scream in response.

"Hotch do you have the siren on? Never mind that, Reid's fine Hotch; he was starting to have a migraine when the phones went off. They just caused the headache to worsen." Morgan's voice belies what he says though, and I can tell he's worried.

"Morgan, I can't just ignore this anymore. Take him to the hospital _now_!" and with that, I slam the phone closed. Sighing heavily, I open my mouth to speak when Rossi beats me to it.

"Turn right at the next exit, and the hospital should be on the left." He gives me a look then. "He'll be all right you know."

I swallow thickly and shake my head slowly. '_I sure hope so.'_

_**Morgan POV:**_

"Reid!" My voice trembles as I shake him violently. "C'mon kid! Let me see your eyes!" I quickly look at Prentiss. "Hurry, call an-"

"I already have. ETA is 3 minutes!" She cuts me off, her concern showing heavily in her eyes. "Do you think something is seriously wrong –"

This time I cut her off, "NO, d-don't think like that! Okay?! J-just don't." She stares at me for a second then slowly nods her head in understanding. I continue tapping his cheeks, trying to get him to wake up until several minutes later when the paramedics arrive and make me move away.

"How long has he been out? Did he have head trauma of some sort?" The female medic asks hurriedly as she begins examining Reid.

"Uh, maybe about 5 minutes? And no, not that I know of, though he was having a really bad headache." I start to zone out, my concern for Reid getting the better of me until I see the paramedic reaching for a syringe. "NO! Don't give him any narcotics!" My voice cuts through the bustle, and everyone pauses momentarily at my seemingly random outburst.

"But-" she starts to respond before I cut her off.

"He's had a heck of a time with addictions in the past! Don't give him anything else to deal with, please!" '_He's gonna kill me later for revealing that to an entire police station',_ I think, but stay firm nonetheless. Her eyes narrow and she stares at me for a moment before giving me a sharp nod and moving to put the medication down. Moving quickly, they strap him to a gurney and wheel him out to the waiting ambulance.

"Anybody riding with him?" the male medic asks before they close the doors.

"I will!" I quickly volunteer, hopping into the vehicle next to Reid. As the ambulance peels out, I reach for the kids hand, his cold skin a shock to my fear-warmed body. "Damn pretty boy . . . don't you ever do this again!" I mutter to him as my eyes start to mist over. My one thought as we speed to the hospital siren blaring is, _'Please . . . '_

_**Reid POV:**_

_It feels like I'm floating, though I'm not sure why. . . . Shouldn't I be somewhere?. . . No, just a little longer . . . My headache doesn't exist here, but I know if I try to wake up it will be there. Just a little more . . . a little longer. . . _

_**No one POV:**_

Everyone sans Garcia and of course Reid, is sitting in the waiting room of a hospitals ER. The call to Garcia had not been fun, though no one really thought it would be and therefore the task went to Morgan; he was after all her 'chocolate god'. When he had hung up the phone, he had been drained in ways he hadn't thought possible. The team's faces were set with concern, and JJ was barely restraining tears of anxiety. Everyone stood as a doctor walked in and called out, "Family of Spencer Reid?"

Morgan jumped him immediately, "How is he?! Is he okay? Why did he pass out? Can we see him?" Rossi put a restraining hand on his shoulder and Hotch gave him a look paired with an authoritative "Morgan!" Morgan frowned, but backed off knowing that eventually his questions would be answered.

The Doctor just sighed as he glanced down at the chart in his hands before looking at the hopeful sets of eyes glued to him. "Well there's good news and bad news. The good news is that he's not in danger, there's just some swelling of his brain. The bad news is that we don't know what caused the swelling, and because of it, he has fallen into a coma that we don't know if or when he'll come out of." Guilt for having to give them this news washed over him as he took in their faces while they processed what they'd just heard. First relief, then worry, and finally heart wrenching grief and fear. There was a moment of silence before he heaved another tired sigh. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to his room."

The party set off wrapped in silence. Disbelief . . . pure and unadulterated disbelief being the main emotion. Finally after what seemed an eternity, the doctor stopped in front of a glass window. Slowly, painfully, they turned their faces to look through at their friend. "I'm sorry," the doctor muttered as he quietly left. As they stared at Reid, his already pale skin translucent under the crisp white sheets, his thin and fragile body looking even smaller under the mass of tubes and wires crisscrossing his bed, JJ lost the battle with her tears, and Derek felt the overwhelming need to punch something.

"Oh God . . . " Morgan's breath caught and he choked on air barely able to keep from breaking down right then and there.

"Right, let's go in," Hotch stated, his agent mask firmly in place. They slowly filed in, claiming spots to form a circle around Reid's bed. Morgan pushed his chair as close to Reid's bed as he could, then grabbed his hand entwining their fingers.

"You'll be fine Kid, just fine. Just make sure you don't leave us waiting to long."

_**Reid POV:**_

_The darkness is so calm and comforting . . . There's no light or sound here. Wait . . .? Was that Morgan's voice? . . . Morgan?_

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**Yeah, not sure if that's any good, but go ahead and tell me! 'Reid' and review :D I'll try not to be so slow next time ;) If you have any suggestion tell me . . . no promises though :3 **

**I'm Sorry Sue1313, but it was too good an idea :] **

**Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! **


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